Future Hawks leader learning off the best

AFL: With change comes opportunity. And at Hawthorn, there has been plenty of both over the past few months.

The end of a dynasty that yielded three premierships in as many years was signalled by the departure of club greats Sam Mitchell and Jordan Lewis during the recent trade period.

Both four-time flag winners with the Hawks, their defections to West Coast and Melbourne respectively meant 571 games of experience walked out the door.

Now, it is up to a suddenly much more youthful batch of footballers to fill their void and take the club through to its next successful period.

One man hoping to lead that charge is Liam Shiels.

At just 25, Shiels is now among the most experienced campaigners in the Hawthorn engine room and is expected to make the step up to the club's leadership group in 2017.

But the tough tackling midfielder knows the responsibility to fill the void of the likes of Mitchell and Lewis in that on-ball brigade won't fall purely on his shoulders next season.

"One of our greatest strengths as a club is that we've got a number of guys around my age group who are great leaders and who have been in the system for six or seven years now,” Shiels told Fox Footy.

"We've lost two quality men and two quality players, so it is a different feeling among the group. But it's also a great opportunity for the young guys to step up and fill that void, both on the field and off it in the leadership department.”

Speaking to Fox Footy in July last year, Hawthorn legend Jason Dunstall tipped Shiels to be the club's next captain - a prediction ironically later echoed by the now departed Lewis.

But for Shiels, who has been compared to another Hawthorn captain in Shane Crawford, talk regarding his future aspirations is purely background noise.

"I haven't really thought too much about it, to be honest - it's Hodgey's and he's a fantastic leader, so he will be the captain until he wants to hand it over,” he said.